The device of this invention relates to theft prevention of motor vehicles and more particularly relates to a protective device positioned over a steering column ignition lock for the prevention of tampering therewith.
At present there are several devices now utilized for the protection of a vehicle's steering column ignition lock. These devices commonly have members which encircle the steering column as it is well-known that many car thieves utilize dent removers to remove the lock assembly by inserting them into the ingnition locks of vehicles and are thereby able to start the cars. It has been found that devices that encircle the steering column and cover the ignition lock prevent the insertion of such dent removing devices, keys, or other devices used by car thieves. Examples of such car theft prevention devices which are patented are numerous and include U.S. Pat. No. Des.227,547 to Bodan. More extensive and complex devices in this area are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,665,738 to Pescuma et al; 3,811,303 to Robertson; 3,948,069 to Imbriano; and 3,916,658 to Barry. All of these patents disclose devices with means for covering all or portions of the ignition key lock assembly and include locking means for for the devices to be held upon the steering column. Some of the aforementioned patented devices have relatively complex structures which can be costly to produce. The Pescuma patent and the Robertson patent rely on padlocks which have certain disadvantages in that they are accessible for a thief to attempt picking or cutting through the hasp. The Imbriano device discloses an internal key lock mechanism within the device itself with the key hole facing the dashboard. This feature has the advantage in that it is difficult for a thief to pick a lock that is facing away from him and, with limited space in which to operate, it would be difficult for a thief to use a dent puller as such devices require room in which to be manipulated.